People’s Party leader vows to take opposition bench if party finishes second

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said on Tuesday that he would take up the role of opposition leader if his party finishes second in the February 8 election, even as he expressed confidence the party can win at least 200 House seats.

Speaking in a live interview on a YouTube political talk show, he said the target includes both constituency and party-list seats.

“At least 200 seats” as a minimum threshold to form a government

“This is based on our calculation. It’s not an over-ambitious goal. It’s a minimum target so that we won’t be denied our right to form a government,” Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said.

He referred to the 2023 general election, when the Move Forward Party won the most seats but did not form a government, arguing that securing more than half of House seats this time would show that a majority of voters trust the party to lead the next administration.

No “runner-up coalition” to block the winner, he says

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said that if the party comes second, it would not attempt to form a coalition with the third- and fourth-placed parties to challenge the winner.

“If we get second place, we won’t try to form a coalition government with the third and fourth-placed parties to contest against the winner. We’d better play our role as the opposition in that case,” he said.

Vote-growth narrative from 2019 to 2023, with a new goal for 2026

He argued that the party’s support base has continued to grow since it first contested an election in 2019.

He said that when the party operated as the Future Forward Party, it won about 6 million votes in 2019, and when it ran as the Move Forward Party in 2023, it received about 14 million votes. He said he believes the People's Party can reach 20 million votes in the February 8 election.

Strategy: urge supporters to back the party in both ballots

He said the party is campaigning on a strategy of asking supporters to vote for it in both constituency and party-list ballots.

He also pointed to the 2023 results in provinces such as Suphan Buri, Buri Ram and Krabi, saying some voters split their tickets — backing Move Forward on the party-list vote while choosing well-known local figures in constituency races.

Denies “stoking divisions”, outlines reform agenda

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut rejected criticism that the party is fuelling social division.

“We have never instigated rifts and divisiveness. We just tried to urge the public to ask themselves what they would like Thai society to become,” he said.

He said a People’s Party-led government would push for equality, improve education, and strengthen medical rights. He added that the party would not dismantle all existing systems, but would reform what does not work while keeping what does.

“Give us this one chance,” Natthaphong says

He also claimed that some conservative-leaning voters have begun saying they will support the People’s Party in pursuit of political change.

“Give us this one chance — just this once. If we get in, I promise we will make politics better and put Thailand back on track, even better than before. But if we fail after we’ve done it, then for the next four years you don’t need to choose us again,” Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said.